Earlier this year The New York Times launched a completely new site redesigned for mobile access.
And if they’re doing it, you know it must be important!
Mobile layout is set to surpass desktop appearance in importance much sooner than expected. Just when companies and newspapers were starting to get their footing online, another curveball was thrown. It is now being said that people access information on their mobile phones more than on their desktop computers, making responsive design more important than ever.
Responsive design means that a website’s content re-sizes to fit your browser depending on the size screen you open it on. This importance in based on the media consumption habits of audiences.
Facebook released the results of an IDC study in April 2013 on mobile user habits. Yes, I see the clear bias in their sponsorship, but does it really matter? We already know that people use their mobile phones frequently, so Facebook’s sponsorship seems irrelevant. The survey showed that 70% of 18-44 year olds who own either an iPhone or Android use their phones to access Facebook- 61% of them daily. On average, these people access Facebook from their phones 14 times a day, and the only thing they do more than that is send texts. The Marketing Pilgrim’s charts and graphics help visualize just how often and for how long smartphone users are accessing social media every day.
According to eMarketer, mobile has become so important to consumers that for the first time ever, this year time spent on mobile activities will surpass time spent online on desktop and laptop computers.
For the first time since 2001, PC sales were lower in 2012 than sales from the previous year. This was due to the rise in the purchase of tablets (which exceeded 100 million) and smartphones.
When this trend became apparent, some companies and websites thought that simply building mobile apps was the key. And while apps are downloaded at an extraordinary rate, research shows that mobile web responsive design is the key to success. According to the Pew Research Center, 60% of tablet users prefer reading news on the mobile web versus an app.
The blog Mashable responded to the challenge by completely revamping their website and responsive design.
Some churches are actually using mobile to engage their congregations. For example, The Mars Hill Church app provides users with sermons, music and access to the Mars Hill blog. You can listen to a sermon whenever and wherever you want and then share it with friends on Facebook or Twitter.
For the most part though, this is another area where religion lags behind the curve.
It is obvious from the overwhelming increase in mobile use that religious organizations will have to make it a priority. Yesterday we talked about popular mobile applications, but how many congregations have responsive web design on their church website or blog? This could be another key in attracting new members.
Samantha Cart 